1. Would you agree that climate change is making hurricanes and other storms worse?
2. Do you think that stopping development along coastal areas will help reduce the severity of hurricanes? (last 3 paragraphs)
3. Should scientists continue to focus on the Atlantic Ocean's rising temperature or should they look elsewhere for things that could be effecting the severity of storms?
I think that there is definitely a connection between the climate changes and severity of hurricanes and storms. We should definitely try to reduce the development along coastal areas because all of the experts agreed that it is effecting the severity of the storms. I think this might be good for us because people start to realize their effects on the environment and that it is back firing towards themselves.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely agree that climate change is a factor that is influencing the severity of hurricanes. The scientists in the article clearly stated that there has been a significant rise in the temperature of the Atlantic lately and I think that this could be affecting hurricanes, considering that hurricanes are ways of moving heat around. I don't think that development along coastal areas is affecting the storms, but I think that the amount of DAMAGE done by a hurricane is more severe because there are now things TO damage along the coast. Lastly, I think that scientists should take into consideration other factors that could be affecting the Atlantic's rise in temperature (like humans' actions), as well as the climate change.
ReplyDeleteI agree that climate change has some effect the severity of hurricanes and tropical storms. We, as the government and the community should consider not continuing to build along coastal areas. For the buildings that are already there, the community needs to recognize that the hurricanes are getting worse, and they need to take action themselves. This is because humans are to blame for the increase in climate temperature, so we need to take it into our own hands to fix things, and that includes the government and scientists joining together, to help our environment. If we can agree that climate change is effecting the hurricanes severity (because in the article it said that not everyone agrees yet) then it would make it easier for the damage of the hurricanes to be controlled, as well as finding ways to stop climate change in the future. Clearly, the rising temperature is a major issue, however some time should be devoted to finding other things that could be effected the storms as well as an answer to the problem.
ReplyDeleteI think that the fact that the number of hurricanes has increased from the 1970's is somewhat solid evidence that a recent added factor has created this change. Whether it can be attributed fully to climate change, I do not know. I do believe its a likely factor and scientists should continue to look into it as a possibility. But I also believe they should focus some efforts in looking into other potential causes of severity of storm change.
ReplyDeleteAs for coastal development, I think whether stopping the development along the coast may lessen storm impacts or not is a a somewhat pointless argument. The development along coasts is so popular in our society that stopping it is very unlikely. Rather we should perhaps research better ways of creating buildings and infrastucture that may better withstand the forces of a hurricane. We should focus on ways of making coastal develpment safer and more secure against tropical storms.
It seems like there is much work and research left to be done before any sort of conclusion can be drawn from the current data.
Currently there is not an agreement on whether the rising number of intense storms in the last 40 or so years is due to human activities or “natural variability”. While climate changes because of human activities is the most likely reason storms have been getting worse in recent years, there will not be a consensus on this until more time passes and there can be a more accurate evaluation on whether these storms are occurring due to natural Earth cycles or humans. But what we do know is that sitting around waiting for more time to pass is not a viable option. I believe that the next step is to act on what there is an agreement on: that the increase in intense storms is doing more and damage because coasts are becoming more and more developed. Stopping development is going to be difficult to control. American businessmen do not like legislation preventing them from making money. There will be a large opposition if legislation preventing development in profitable areas is passed, especially if it is passed on an issue that the scientists are not united on. I think the best response is to pass legislation increasing breakwaters. These can be put in along shores as well as out in offshore waters to reduce the power of wave action in inshore waters. The intense storms are having a negative impact on human kind and the environment. These hurricanes, tsunamis and other tropical storms can kill many people as well as flooding inlands, which leads to the deaths of many animals and the disappearance of many animal habitats, a negative effect on the environment. Breakwaters can reduce some of this damage. While this is most certainly not a solution that will prevent storms from happening, I think it is the best immediate action to take. In the future there will definitely need to be more research and more public education on the effect of human activities to the environment and their far felt consequences.
ReplyDeleteClimate change is indeed adding to the severity of storms all around the world. As the article refers to how temperatures have been on the rise for the past couple decades it is easy to see that there is some relationship between these increases in temp and the frequency, strength, and size of these storms.
ReplyDeleteI believe that developing along the coastline definitely has its benefits and risks. People will never stop building industry and housing near these areas due to the large market for business, yet we all must respect the power that mother nature possess both as a giver of life or destroyer.
The Atlantic Ocean should continue to be the key for scientist to figure out the mystery of the increase of storm severity. I think that if these trends continue it can be firmly proven that climate change is to blame.
I agree that the climate change has altered the severity of hurricanes and other storms. Over the past decade, it is obvious that climate has contributed to hurricanes and storms. Stopping development in coastal areas would decrease the severity of hurricanes because the building projects make the coastlines vulnerable. The green house gases put off from these areas are what make them vulnerable as well as altering climate. The rising temperature in the Atlantic is a big problem too. However, more focus should be put on the human's effect on the environment as well as the climate continually increasing.
ReplyDeleteI personally believe that climate change is having an immeadiate and direct impact to the strength of the hurricanes because of what it talked about in this piece. I believe that the ocean's surface temperature rising is definately a big problem. However, it very well could be just a conisidence that the storms have been rising since 1970. Although, one can make a strong case that the use of cars and different machinery that omit greenhouse gases has skyroketed. However, the answer to your question is yes, i do believe the climate change is making the hurricanes worse.
ReplyDeleteThere might be some effect to the stopping development, but i dont think it would be enough to calm the storms down. I believe this is a global problem that we have to fix right now before something happens. The scariest part about this whole thing, is that the researchers dont know when or how something devastating might happen. This should be a red flag to all of man kind telling us to be smarter with everything we do effecting the environment.
I believe they should do both. The more important one would be the Atlantic Ocean, because thats where the storms are at their worst. So i do think that the main focus should still revolve around the Earth's major bodies of water
Here are some comments to a Time Magazine article that people are debating this issue: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1119959,00.html
I do agree with the idea that human impact on the environment is intensifying storms. However, until there is more proof and a longer window of time to look at and more data of different hurricanes no broad conclusions should be made. Therefore, I think it would be silly to stop developing along the coast because there is simply too much money is real estate and businesses along the coast. I think scientists should look at other factors to why storms are intensifying while keeping in mind that the increase of water temperature in the Atlantic ocean could play a big part as well
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